Pakistan: JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's house arrest extended for two more months

Hafiz Saeed was also put under house arrest after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, but he was freed by a court in 2009.

Punjab: Pakistan's Punjab government on Monday issued a notification to extend the house arrest of Hafiz Saeed, the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and a US-designated terrorist, for two more months.

The government on January 30 had put Saeed and the four leaders under house arrest in Lahore for their alleged involvement in activities prejudicial to peace and security.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief and his four close aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - had been placed under house arrest on January 31 for three months under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Afterwards, their house arrest was extended for another 90 days.

This time Saeed's house arrest has been extended under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order.

In a notification issued on July 28, the Punjab Government Home Department said on the recommendation of the federal interior ministry the detention of the activist - Saeed - has been extended for another 60 days. It said Saeed and others' detention expired on July 27.

As per DawnNews, the notification reads that the Counter Terrorism Department has reported that "keeping in view the expected release of the said activist and other leaders of the said organisation, workers of the organisation have planned to spread chaos in the country."

The notification is signed by Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (Home) retired Major Azam Suleman.

It further reads that "on release, he (Saeed) is likely to glorify his activities for the said organisation and continuation of his activities are likely to create unrest in public."

It is believed that the Pakistan government had detained Saeed after the Trump administration, which had just taken over, had told Islamabad that it may face sanctions if it did not act against the JuD and its chief.

The Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), the front group of the banned Lashkar-e-Toiba, and its sister organisation Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), had also been put under terror watch on the basis of a report sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Saeed was also put under house arrest after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, but he was freed by a court in 2009.

He has a bounty of USD 10 million on his head for his role in terror activities.